Mat Clark – IELTS Speaking
34
I generally prefer...(use only when comparing)
Most of the adverbs are interchangeable in this list.
One advantage of the IELTS vocabulary marking system is that if you use an
uncommon word incorrectly or in the wrong context, you will still get some credit for
trying to use the word.
For example, if a candidate said:
―I'm quite enthusiastic about Korean food.‖
Compare it with:
―I like Korean food.‖
Native-speaker wouldn't normally use the word ―enthusiastic‖ to describe food, but
the first sentence is better than the second because it attempts to use an uncommon
vocabulary item (quite enthusiastic).
So don't be afraid to use any of the words from the list – they are all worth more to
your score than ―I like‖ or ―I enjoy‖.
We return to the question: ―Do you like animals?‖ The aim of our answer is to use
about 3 or 4 ―liking‖ expressions.
Look at the following answer:
―Well to be quite honest, in general I would say that I'm actually quite keen on
animals, but in particular I would probably have to say that I'm really into domestic pets
like dogs. I guess the reason why I'm a fan of dogs is because I adore their loyalty and
companionship. In addition to dogs I suppose I'm also pretty passionate about endangered
species, especially dolphins and things like that and this is due to the fact I feel some
degree of responsibility towards wildlife protection.‖
